Jim Flaherty’s death is a reminder that good people can do bad things for the best of reasons.

CBC cuts show other side of Jim Flaherty: Walkom

Two tragedies dominated the Star’s front page Friday. The first was personal, the second institutional.

The personal tragedy was the sudden death of former federal finance minister Jim Flaherty. His family was devastated. So were friends and acquaintances.
 

Most media devoted themselves to non-stop tributes.
 

The institutional tragedy involved the latest bloodletting at CBC. The national public broadcaster announced it is again engaged in a savage pruning of its radio and television services, in a last-ditch effort to save money.
 

The two tragedies are related. For it was under Flaherty’s watch as finance minister that the latest cutbacks in federal government funding to CBC occurred.
 

To point this out is not to deny Flaherty’s virtues as a human being. Those who knew him say he was hard-working, loyal to his family and possessed of an engaging personality.
 

There is no evidence that I know of to suggest that his motives were anything but public-spirited.

More: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/04/11/cbc_cuts_show_other_side_of_jim_flaherty_walkom.html